DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County family is grieving a 26-year-old son who chased down the driver they say hit his father’s car and sped off, only to be shot and killed on the side of the interstate.
Tyler Sieber was following his father, Anton Sieber, home on Interstate 285 near the Buford Highway exit late Thursday night when another driver cut between their vehicles and swerved to pass, according to the family.
“He flew back over and hit the back end of my car and sent me into 285, spinning across traffic,” Anton Sieber told Channel 2’s Matt Johnson.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Tyler ran into the road to check on his father around 10:30 p.m., then got back in his truck to chase down the other driver and photograph his car.
“If I could jump in front of his truck and stop him, I would,” Anton Sieber said.
Police say both drivers stopped near the exit, and the other man pulled a gun and shot Tyler before driving away with his phone. Tyler’s family said they and police tracked the phone’s signal until it went dark.
“We followed it to where the signal stopped, and all they found was his case,” Anton Sieber said.
“He was just a natural, goodhearted, lighthearted guy. Even people he’d never met are reaching out telling us how he made them feel like they mattered,” Christa Sieber said.
His younger sister, Brittney, said he shared everything he loved with her, from motorcycles to cars to video games, and never let her feel left out.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Possibility of heavy rain, winds could make Monday morning commute difficult
- Bus full of metro Atlanta students on the way home from church camp goes up in flames
- Atlanta home catches fire for the third time
“He was so good to me. Anything I ever needed, he was always there,” Brittney Sieber said. “I just miss him a lot.”
DeKalb County police have not released a description of the suspect or his vehicle. Anton Sieber said it was dark and he only got a brief look at the driver, and couldn’t make out the car through its tinted windows.
Anyone with dash cam video from I-285 Thursday night is asked to submit an anonymous tip through the DeKalb County Police Department app or by phone.
Tyler’s mother said whoever did this showed exactly who they are, and she wants to see him caught.
“Someone that has to do something like that, it just shows how little they are and that they can’t handle things with words,” Christa Sieber said. “An arrest is not going to bring our son back, but it’ll give us a little more peace.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Sieber family with funeral expenses.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]